Recently in the progressive city of Muntinlupa, several local officials took part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Muntinlupa City Skate Park in Barangay Tunasan, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. This is the latest sports-related project of the city.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
City officials led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon and Rep. Jaime Fresnedi held the groundbreaking for the Muntinlupa City Skate Park.
The skate park, located in Barangay Tunasan, is part of the Muntinlupa City government’s vision to develop the next generation of Asian Games gold medalist Margielyn Didal.
“This facility will provide an engaging space for local skaters to connect with each other and develop their skills as individuals. It also gives us the unique opportunity to harness these skaters to help us develop athletes for medal events,” said Biazon.
He said the skate park was a result of Muntinlupa bagging the Seal of Good Local Governance, which had an incentive of P7 million. The fund will be used for the project.
The skate park will feature facilities primarily for skateboarding, such as quarter pipes and practice rails. It can also serve as a venue for various events and competitions, with an audience area and view deck for spectators to enjoy the action.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, what do you think about the city skate park? Are there lots of skaters in your local community who could use such a facility?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late 1980s to examine an alternate universe portrayal of Wolverine and S.H.I.E.L.D. told through an issue of the 2ndWhat If comic book series.
While Wolverine has always been identified with the X-Men, the famous mutant spent time with the Canadian team Alpha Flight and his early encounter with the Hulk remains a highly significant chapter of Marvel Comics’ superhero universe.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at What If #7 published in 1989 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Joe Valentino and drawn by Rob Liefeld.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with the Watcher looking back at Wolverine’s encounter with not only the Hulk but also the Wendigo (as recorded in Incredible Hulk #180 and #181). A short time later, Wolverine is alone in the forest and gets visited by Nick Fury (S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Hudson (Alpha Flight) who arrived by helicopter.
Hudson tells Logan that an agreement has been made to loan him to the United States which prompts a response – Wolverine claims he is nobody’s property and tells Fury to reveal the details.
As it turns out, Wolverine joined Fury at the helicarrier of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a briefing. Fury reveals to him that the internal security of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been breached by an advanced model of Hydra LMDs (life model decoys) and their sensors cannot even detect them. An agent with top security clearance was recently caught trying to transmit classified data. The said agent blew up…
Quality
Wolverine, Nick Fury, Black Widow and some S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel take on Hydra!
I can say that I am very impressed and entertained with what Valentino and Liefeld came up with in this comic book. The story has a pretty strong structure designed to engage readers, pull off some surprises here and there, while also emphasizing the legacy of conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra with efficiency.
With regards to this comic book’s subject matter, Valentino succeeded in exploring the concept of Wolverine becoming an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. complete with great interactions between the characters. While Wolverine has his ideological differences with Nick Fury, the story went on to show great chemistry between them when S.H.I.E.L.D. operates (with the clawed mutant involved). Wolverine and Black Widow make a solid duo in action and the writer managed to dramatize the conflict between Fury and Baron Strucker (Hydra). For the newcomers reading this, Baron Strucker is Marvel’s super villain with a Nazi heritage and he first appeared in the 1964 comic book Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5. Strucker here is very intimidating and powerful and Hydra’s use of LMDs symbolically reflect his ruthlessness.
When it comes to the visuals, Rob Liefeld’s art here is really great to look at and it truly is one of the best looking Marvel comics I have read with his artwork as well as the most distinctive looking What If story. Great not only because of his stylized take on the established characters (note: the Hulk and Wendigo looked very visceral) but also because Liefeld truly brought Valentino’s solid script into life from start to finish. The action scenes drawn were excellent, the facial expressions were lively and detailed to look at (note: Wolverine’s got some very visceral faces here) and most of all, Liefeld managed to make the established characters look recognizable.
Conclusion
Really nice action of Wolverine and Black Widow against many drawn by Rob Liefeld.
Thanks to Jim Valentino and Rob Liefeld’s combined works, What If #7 (1989) is a great comic book and easily one of the best tales of the 2nd volume of What If that I have ever read. The way it emphasized Wolverine as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. was highly imaginative, compelling and fun to read from start to finish. There is so much enjoyable stuff here that should appeal strongly to fans Wolverine, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. In retrospect, this comic book was published just a few years before Valentino and Liefeld left Marvel Comics to establish Image Comics and right here you will see the great creativity from their younger days. Lastly, I can say that this What If tale has a strong conclusion which should compel you to read specific Marvel comic books to realize the connections
In the views of the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), the economy of the Philippines could grow by 5.5% for the year, according to a news article by Philippine News Agency (PNA). 2023 has been an economically challenging year and many anticipated that the national economy won’t grow as high as it did in 2022.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine economy is projected to grow by 5.5 percent this year, driven by the growth in government spending, a report released by the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said.
In the September issue of The Market Call released on Wednesday, FMIC and UA&P said Philippine economic growth in the third quarter of the year will likely reach 5.0 to 5.2 percent.
For the fourth quarter of this year, FMIC and UA&P project the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 6 percent.
This would bring the full year GDP growth to 5.5 percent which is slightly below the government’s 6 to 7 percent target for this year.
“Despite the weak July-August, we think the NG will accelerate further its spending on infrastructure and transportation for the rest of the year, and employment will have strong rebound in September,” the report said.
The Philippine economy grew by 4.3 percent in the second quarter of this year. During the quarter, government expenditure contracted by 7.1 percent.
FMIC and UA&P however expect government spending to accelerate in the second half of the year.
“National Government took up the slack in July spending as it ramped up expenditures by 16.2 percent year-on-year in July through higher social protection and infrastructure outlays,” the report said.
Aside from government spending, FMIC and UA&P also expect manufacturing and construction to drive growth.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national economy can do better than the 5.5% growth foreseen by the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P)?
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, the local police department officially warned the business establishments about the ongoing solicitation scam (which includes a fake endorsement) for a so-called beauty pageant and they also revealed captured CCTV footage of the suspect, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas City police issued a warning to all business establishments against a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
City police chief Col. Jaime Santos said Rovic Macariola, a resident of Barangay Almanza Uno and president of Dender and Development, was reportedly approaching business establishments and soliciting donations to support the city’s candidate for the beauty pageant.
Santos said Macariola reportedly solicited donations, amounting to P2,500 to P3,500, to business establishments in exchange for reduced payments for business permits at the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).
The city police chief said upon verification, they found out that the suspect has a pending case for illegal drug possession, estafa, swindling, and falsification of legislative documents.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar also issued a warning on Friday, Sept. 29, about the use of her fake signature in an endorsement indicating that the suspect is authorized by her office to solicit funds to support the city’s candidate for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
Upon learning of the illegal activity of Macariola, Aguilar immediately alerted the police and ordered the arrest.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Have you personally encountered the suspect? Were there any businesses in your local community that were approached by the suspect? Have you ever heard of a beauty pageant called Miss Amazing Philippines?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In a new attempt to provide jobs in the Philippines and boost the economy, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., recently signed into law the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The passage of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act will help the government achieve the goal of the Philippine Development Plan to provide more jobs to Filipinos, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Wednesday.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed on Wednesday the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act which seeks to, among others, address the challenges in the labor market.
“We support the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act as it contributes to the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims to increase employability, expand access to employment opportunities and achieve shared labor market governance,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement.
The law mandates the formulation of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan (TPB) to address unemployment, underemployment, the informality of working arrangements, the reintegration of Overseas Filipino Workers and other challenges in the labor market.
It will also focus on improving the employability and competitiveness of Filipino workers through upskilling and reskilling initiatives and will provide support for micro, small and medium enterprises, and industry stakeholders.
The TPB Inter-Agency Council, chaired by the NEDA Secretary, will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the employment situation and labor market in the country.
The Council will also ensure the effective use of resources, harmonizing and complementing all governmental efforts and assisting local government units in planning, devising and implementing employment generation and recovery plans and programs within their respective localities.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act will create positive results over the next few years if it succeeds? Do you think that more could be done to help local job hunters find opportunities and get employed soon?
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Muntinlupa City was named the No. 5 overall most competitive highly urbanized city in the Philippines and landed in the top three in resiliency and infrastructure.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon received the awards at the Philippine Creative Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Congress held on Sept. 28 at the Manila Hotel.
Local government units were ranked based on the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index by the National Competitiveness Council.
“Cities and municipalities are ranked on their competitiveness based on an overall competitiveness score. The overall competitiveness score is the sum of scores on five main pillars which pool data from several sub-indicators. The five main pillars are: economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency, and innovation. Scores are determined by the values of the actual data, as well as the completeness of the submitted data. The higher the score of a city or municipality, the more competitive it is,” according to the CMCI website.
Overall, Muntinlupa ranked fifth under the most competitive highly urbanized cities category in the country with a score of 49.59.
It is also No. 3 in the resilience and infrastructure pillars, and No. 6 in the innovation pillar.
“Infrastructure pertains to the physical assets that connect, expand, and sustain a locality and its surroundings to enable provision of goods and services,” according to CMCI.
Resilience, on the other hand, “applies to the capacity of a locality to build systems that can absorb change and disturbance and being able to adapt to such changes.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, what is your reaction to what the city achieved in the latest CMCI rankings? Do you believe that Muntinlupa is a blossoming and highly competitive city among all highly urbanized cities of the nation?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, Mayor Imelda Aguilar issued a warning to the public about a solicitation scam for a beauty pageant involving a fake endorsement, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Eerily, this development shared common elements with what happened in Muntinlupa lately.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar warned city residents against a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
Aguilar said the endorsement using her fake signature states that a certain Rovic Macariolla, a resident of Barangay Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City and a president of Gender and Development was being authorized by her office to solicit to the public to support the city’s candidate for “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
She said the local police, under the supervision of Col. Jaime Santos, was already alerted and ordered to arrest the suspect.
The mayor urged the public to call the local police hotline numbers at 0998-5987928/0947-4622859 or at (02) 8832-6422/8808-7395/8525-8403 once approached by the suspect.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you concerned that scammers pretending to have endorsements of local officials could be pouncing on potential victims in your local community? Has anyone approached you and tried to solicit money from you for a beauty pageant?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently here in the Philippines, GMA Network made waves to boost their sports coverage by unveiling their artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters named Maia and Marco which drew varied reactions from Filipinos online. Check out the official video unveiling of the AI sportscasters from GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel below…
If you look at Maia and Marco’s unveiling, you probably would have been impressed with how photo-realistic they look and how almost human they sounded (including being able to speak Tagalog). They were made to look like Filipinos convincingly You might be saying to yourself that this is a shining example of Filipino achievement in the world of technology and be totally accepting of it. But make no mistake as Maia and Marco are indeed not real people (fake Filipinos) and most notably, they have no souls at all.
This bring me to the fact that AI has no soul and we humans must take action to prevent artificial intelligence from overwhelming us. Overseas, the development of AI is moving at a rapid face and the competing tech giants (which invested heavily on AI) involved are so focused on outmaneuvering and outdoing each other, they don’t seem to care about the possibilities that AI could turn into a rebellious force that could harm people around the world in multiple ways. Already, artificial intelligence and robotics are emerging as threats to humanity. To put things in perspective, watch the CBN News YouTube videos below…
With AI and robots left unchecked, a new form of religion that has nothing to do with God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit is emerging already. There are those who pulled themselves away from the Lord to dedicate themselves to intelligent robots, human-like AI-driven characters and other aspects of technology. I would not be surprised if I find out that GMA’s Maia and Marco are being idolized by some people right now (note: idolatry is both foolish and unholy).
In the world of entertainment, AI is already being used as a tool for visuals (combined with computer-generated imaging or CGI) which includes the process of recreating the likenesses of actors (both the living and the dead) to make characters on-screen look as real as possible. In relation, the digital ways of resurrecting dead actors to portray their respective characters is morally disturbing to say the very least. It should also be stated that AI itself is being used to make articles, essays and even scripts – literary pieces that were not composed by the human user himself/herself. Has it occurred to you that the movie or streaming show you watched used a script that was partially made with AI because the screenwriter took shortcuts when working? Learn from the YouTube videos of Dave Cullen below…
Going back to GMA Network and its AI sportscasters, a lot of Filipinos have been questioning how artificial intelligence will affect not only journalism but also Philippine sports broadcasting (a lively sector) and job opportunities (which millions nationwide need badly). No matter how life-like and charismatic they look on-screen, Maia and Marco are still fake Filipinos created with AI and CGI. They are characters, not human beings. Did GMA Network even try to search for talented and charismatic prospects for their sports broadcasting needs among the many living and breathing Filipinos present in the country? The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people and that includes many young adults and adults who can be employed.
Way back in 1992, in a response to Marvel Comics’ expression that creative people (their employees) are secondary to their comic book characters, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld emphasized the need for a living and breathing work force to keep the company and the business moving.
“Without your creative people, there would be no Batman, there would be no Spider-Man, there would be no Hulk. That’s short-sighted as far as I am concerned. You will need warm bodies, warm creative bodies to create properties to keep your company going,” said Liefeld.
While he specifically did not talk about AI at all, what Liefeld said long ago is still highly relevant which companies and organizations here in the Philippines can learn from before going all-in with artificial intelligence (which will deprive job seekers the opportunities). At least in my view, AI is unnecessary with sports broadcasting. There is nothing like watching a live sports event happen in which the human broadcaster makes powerful or exciting verbal expressions whenever a fun moment happens during the game. That being said, do you seriously think an AI sportscaster can pull off such human reactions in natural and believable fashion for the millions of viewers watching? In case you did not notice, Maia and Marco of GMA still have that robotic tone with the ways they talked – undeniable proof that AI has no soul. Humans who work have souls.
In fairness, GMA Network is aware of the public’s concerns about AI with regards to ethics, human labor, journalism and more. Watch the GMA YouTube news video (mostly in Tagalog) below…
Regardless of how AI develops and make impact on Filipinos, what is clear to me is that measures must be taken to ensure that humans will always have an advantage over artificial intelligence. I am talking about the need for kill switches covering all AI applications and projects to ensure that human users will have the edge in the event that AI turns rogue against humanity. That being said, I encourage you readers to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to make laws that will make kill switches on AI a requirement all over the Philippines, and that includes requiring all AI providers/makers (including the foreign entities) to comply. Users of AI should be prioritized always! Do you want ChatGPT to control you or destroy you and your family? Do you want robots with AI to be a major part of your household and your lifestyle? I don’t think so.
Once again, AI has no soul. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If you want to write a letter or an article, do it yourself. If you want to compose a teaching module or a new prayer for a bible-focused session in your local church, push AI out of the way to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and then proceed with the Lord’s command. By the way, artificial intelligence and technology could never understand the Holy Spirit and you definitely should never let them be part of your Christianity. No matter how many people around you worshipAI, robots, science and technology, you should never let them pull you away from the Lord.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think GMA Network has set a bad example with their AI sportscasters Maia and Marco with regards to Philippine sports coverage and journalism in general? Why do you think the network wanted their AI sportscaster to look human? Do you think the technology of artificial intelligence will be abused by those who possess it here in the Philippines? Do you think Philippine Congress should come up with a new law requiring kill switches on all AI projects and applications within the country to ensure that users will still have an advantage in case AI goes rogue? Do you think a rogue AI can bring down the security and economy of the Philippines?
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the local sellers of rice grain received temporary relief as the City Government implemented a moratorium on the collection of rental payments, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government has imposed a moratorium on the collection of rental payment from stall holders engaged in the selling of rice as assistance to them following President Marcos’ decision to put a price cap on regular and well-milled rice.
Marcos issued Executive Order No. 39 on Aug. 31 imposing a mandated price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. The rice price cap took effect on Sept. 5.
To assist the affected rice retailers, the Muntinlupa City Council passed Ordinance 2023-120 “imposing moratorium on rental payment for public stall holder in the retail business of selling rice during the effectivity of Executive Order No. 39 or the imposition of mandated price ceiling on rice.”
Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed the ordinance on Sept. 26, which became “effective immediately upon its approval.”
According to the ordinance, the President issued E.O. 39 “with an end view to put a price cap on rice in the effort to ease off the increasing price of the staple caused by illegal price manipulation such as hoarding by opportunistic traders and collusion among industry carters in the light of the lean season, as well as global events taking place beyond the Philippines’ control, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India’s ban on rice exportation, and the unpredictability of oil prices in the world market, among other factors, have caused an alarming increase in the retail prices of rice/”
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2023-131 for mayors to assist and ensure the effective regulation of the price of rice through “regular inspections of public and private markets, as well as rice warehouses; activation of hotlines, consumer complaints desk, and Timbangan ng Bayan; and deputation of barangay officials and non-government organizations to monitor abnormal price increases,” the ordinance added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you approve of the City Government’s moratorium on the collection of rental payments with regards to the local sellers of rice grain?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
A person of Parañaque City wanted for the crime of rape was arrested by police officers in the province of Quirino, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. It turns out, the suspect is among the Top 10 most wanted persons of the city.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A man wanted for rape by sexual assault and rape and tagged as the sixth most wanted person in Parañaque City was arrested on Sunday, Sept. 24, in Quirino Province.
The Southern Police District (SPD) said the Parañaque police identified the suspect as Marcial Sante, who was arrested at around 4:00 p.m. in Barangay Gulac, Diffun, Quirino Province.
The Parañaque police reported that a tracker team from the Don Bosco substation coordinated with the Quirino Province Mobile Force Company on the arrest of Sante.
Sante was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Madeline Bona Mendoza of Parañaque Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 87 and Judge Leilani Marie Dacanay of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 294 for rape by sexual assault and rape on August 1.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Are you concerned that Parañaque-based criminals could be staying in the province to avoid arrest? Do you consider rape a serious problem in the city right now?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Author Carlo Carrasco 